Rowing-machine.



W. C. FIRTH.

ROWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17. me.

1,217,292. Patenfed Feb. 27,1917.

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W. C. FIRTH. ROWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17. I9I6..

1 217.292. Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

ATTORNEY.

' W. C. FIRTH.

ROWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. :1, ms.

1,217,292. Patented Feb, 27,1917,

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W. C. FIRTH.

ROWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11. 1916.

Patented Fb. 27, 1917.

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ROWNG MACHINE. APPLICATION F-ILED APR. 17. 1916 1 ,217,292. Patented Feb" 27, 1917.

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WILLIAM C. FIRTH, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

ROWING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

Application filed April 17, 1916. Serial No. 91,651.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, l/VILLIAM C. FIRTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rowing- Machines, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to rowing machines, and one feature of the invention resides in a novel arrangement whereby a fluid is employed as a resistant to the efforts of the oarsman.

Other features of the invention reside in means for regulating the resistance of the fluid; means to indicate the number of pounds pulled by the oarsman at each stroke; and means to indicate the distance, or equivalent thereof, rowed by the oarsman, or oarsmen.

A further feature resides in an attachment whereby the machine can be readily converted into use for two or any desired multiple of oarsmen, and in order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a broken plan view of certain parts employed in carrying out the invention.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the machine.

Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the seat.

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of the machine on line V of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a container on line VI of Fig. 5, with its lid removed.

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view of the ma chine on line VIIVII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the container and associated parts disclosed by Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section of a pipe and retardent employed in carrying out the invention.

Fig. 10 is a vertical section of a valve employed in carrying out the invention.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of an attachment for converting the apparatus into use by two or more oarsmen.

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the parts disclosed by Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a broken detail, enlarged, of certain parts disclosed by Fig. 11.

In carrying out the invention, I employ a suitable frame 1 mounted upon legs 2.

3 designates a transverse bracket secured upon the frame 1 and provided at its ends with bearings 4, in which crank arms 5 are mounted. The upper ends of the crank arms 5 have couplings 6 swiveled thereon and provided with a pair of mounted oars 7. In using the term oars throughout the specification I mean to include levers or other equivalents of the members 7. The bearings 4 are externally threaded to receive lock nuts A, whereby they are firmly secured to the bracket 3, after they have been adjusted vertically to the desired height.

The lower ends of the crank arms 5 are end by a cap 16. The elbow 14, has a drain cook 14*, through which fluid may be drawn off from the cylinder 12 and the tube 15. The cylinder 12 and the tube 15 are supported by the ends of the frame 1 and the bracket 3. The outer end of the plunger stem 10 is supported by a depending arm 17, slidable upon a guide rod 18 secured at its ends to arms 19 and 20, depending from the cylinder 12 and the tube 15', respectively.

21 designates a small pipe leading from the tube- 15 to a'container 22 where it dis charges into a meter 23, the lower portion of which extends into a cup 24 from which the fluid overflows into the lower portion of the container. The fluid in said cup, 24 acts as a regulator for the meter 23, so that the operation of the same will be steady and accurate. The meter 23 is fixedly-mounted upon a shaft 25, provided with a pinion 26 to drive a large gear wheel 27, having a trip-pin 28 whereby a gong 29 is rung at each revolution of said gear wheel 27. The gear wheel 27 is mounted upon a shaft 30, extending through the front wall of the container 22 and provided with a pointer 31,

whieh'coacts with a dial 32 in registering the distance, or equivalent thereof,.rowed by the oarsman. The pointer 31 may be adjusted to zero, or other predetermined point preparatory to starting to row by a hand crank 33 fixed upon the rear end of the shaft 25, which extends through the rear wall of the container 22.

In order that the resistance of the fluid against the plunger 11 may be regulated at will, 1 prl'wide the small pipe 21 with a valve 3st, having a valve plug yieldingly-held to its seat by a spring 36, the pressure of which upon said valve plug 35 is manually controlled through a screw 37, threaded through the upper portion of the valve and provided with a. hand wheel 33. A check valve 39 on the pipe 21 prevents the fluid therein from flowing back into the tube e10 designates a pressure gage to indicate the number of pounds pulled by the cars man at each stroke. Said gage is actuated by fluid from a pipe d1 having an air-cusl ion d2 above the gage to steady the action of the same. The lower end of the pipe 4:1, communicates with the tube 15 and its up; per plugged end is secured to the rear wall of the container 22, to steady the same and prevent vibration. The lower portion of the pipes 21 and 11 have drain-cocks 21 and 11, respectively, to drain off the fluid above said cocks, when desired.

A time-clock 413 is supported beside the gage d0 on a solid bracket at, extending from a T-coupling secured to the pipe ll. The indicators 32 and 10 and the time-clock d3 are disposed in front of the oarsman, so that they can be easily read during the rowing operation. One section of the pipe 41 ras two perforated plates 16, between which gravel, or other retardant, 4:7, is placed to prevent the fluid from flowing too rapidly to the 4:0 and interfering with its proper operation.

18 designates an air-line communicating with the cylinder 12 at a point between the plunger 11 and the stuffing box 13, and leading to the container 22 to prevent air from becoming entrapped in the cylinder 12' and offering variable resistance to the plunger 11. As the plunger 11 moves forward in the cylinder 12, is drawn intothe cylinder behind said plunger, and as the latter moves on its backward stroke the air is expelled from the cylinder through the pipe 4:8, together, with any fluid that may have leaked behind the plunger. The lid of the container 22, has perforations 22, for free ingress and egress of the air.

19 designates a large return pipe leading from the bottom of the container 22 to the tube 15 to return the fluid thereto expelled through the pipe 21. A. check valve in the tube 15 prevents the fluid therein from being forced back into the return pipe 49.

51 designates a seat for the oarsnien, which is provided with rollers 52 to traverse a pair of rails 53 mounted at one end upon blocks 5% and at their opposite end upon a yoke 55 secured to the frame 1.

56 designates a pair of pedals provided with straps 57 to secure the oarsmans feet upon said pedals, which are firmly secured to the tube 15 by a clamp 58.

Tn practice fluid, preferably in the form of oil is poured into the-container 22 until it attains a level with the gage cock 22". 11s the fluid is poured into the container a portion flows down through the pipe 4-9, past the valve 50 and into the tube 15 and the cylinder 12. After the cylinder 12 and the container 15 become filled with fluid a portion thereof flows into the pipe all and also into the pipe 21, until it attains a level in the latter on a line with the level of the fluid in the container 22. The cup 2-1 is filled at the time that the container 22 is supplied with the fluid. The oarsrnan then takes his position upon the seat- 51 and after adjusting his feet to the pedals 56, pulls upon the cars 7 to advance the plunger 11. As the plunger 11 advances it forces fluid from the cylinder 12 into the container 22 through the tube 15 and the pipe 21, the check valve 39 of which latter prevents the fluid from flowing backward therein. The fluid is discharged from the pipe 21 into the meter 23, and after acting on the same is discharged into the cup 24 from which it overflows. As the fluid overflows from the cup 251- its level rises in the container 22 until the plunger 11 is forced on its backward stroke, whereupon a partial vacuum is formed in the cylinder 12, which, aided by the force of gravity, draws oil into said cylinder 12, until the same is filled and the level of the fluid in the container 22 is re duced to normal. The check valve 50 permits the fluid in the pipe l9 to flow freely from the container 22 into the tube 15, but prevents backward flow of the fluid. The reduced area of the pipe 21 retards the flow of fluid thereto, so that it will offer resistance to the advance stroke of the plunger 11.

hould it be desir'dto increase the resistance it is only necessary to adjust the valve 341 accordingly. As the return pipe 49 is of substantially the same diameter as the tube 15 and permits the fluid to return freely through said tube, little resistance is offered to the backward stroke of the plunger 11.

Each forward stroke of the plunger 11 also forces fluid upward in the pipe a1 and creates apressure upon the indicator 40, which registers the resistance offered by the fluid against the advance of the plunger 1.1. As the air in the cylinder 12 is free to enter and leave through the pipe 18 during the operation of the piston 11, there will be little or no resistance from this source and consequently the number of pounds pulled rately determined by the fluid pressure on the indicator 40. After the meter 23 has made a predetermined number of revolutions, it, through the intermediacy of the gears 26 and 27, actuates the gong 29. Said meter also through the intermediacy of the pointer 31 and its coacting dial 32 indicates the distance, or equivalent thereof, traversed, on each forward stroke of the plunger 11.

l/Vhen two oarsmen are to be accommodated the attachment disclosed by Figs. 11 to a 13, inclusive, is employed. This attachment is substantially a duplicate of the mechanism already described, as indicated by the corresponding numerals with exponents. Hencm it is deemed unnecessary to go into detailed description thereof other than to state that the attachment does not embody any of the fluid containing mechanism and indicators since the power exerted by both oarsmen acts upon the one plunger 11 and consequently duplication of said plunger, the cylinder 12, the tube 15 and connecting parts is unnecessary.

As disclosed by Figs. 2 and 11, the outer end of the plunger stem 10 has a cross bar 60, to which a pair of extension rods 61 are connected at their forward ends. Said extension rods 61 extend rearwardly of the frame 1 and are connected to a slidable member 62, mounted upon slide-ways 63, connected at their ends to a bracket 3 and a transverse rod 64, which latter is connected to the forward legs 2 of the frame 1 which is located at the rear and in line with the frame 1. An equalizing bar 9 is pivotallymounted upon the slidable member 62 and connected to the crank arms 5 through the intermediacy of a pair of connecting rods 8. The upper ends of the crank arms 5 are connected to the oars 7 by coupling members 6*. With the foregoing arrangement it is obvious that the power applied by oarsman number 2 is transmitted to the plunger 11 through the connecting mecha nism above described.

If a third oarsman is to be accommodated another pair of extension rods 61 are connected to the slidable member 62, which is provided with eyes 65 for that purpose. The last-mentioned extension rods are connected to a duplicate of the mechanism supported by the frame 1 Thus it will be understood that extensions may be added to accommodate any desired number of oarsmen.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that I have produced an apparatus free from springs and other parts liable to get out of order, and while I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention, I reserve the right to make such changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, tubular means containing a fluid, a plunger reciprocably-mounted in said means and resisted in its action by the fluid, oars operably-connected to said plunger to actuate the same, and indicating means ac tuated by the fluid to determine the distance rowed by the oarsman.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, tubular means containing a fluid, a plunger reciprocably-mounted in said means and resisted in its action by the fluid, oars operably-connected to said plunger to actuate the same, indicating means actuated by the fluid to determine the distance rowed by the oarsman, and a signal actuated by said means.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, tubular means containing a fluid, a plunger reciprocably mounted in said means and resisted in its action by the fluid, oars operably-connected to said plunger to actuate the same, and a meter actuated by the fluid to determine the distance rowed by the oarsman.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, tubular means contaming a fluid, a plunger reciprocably-mounted in said means and resisted in its action by the fluid, oars operably-connected to said plunger to actuate the same, a meter actuated by the fluid to determine the distance rowed by the oarsman, and a gong controlled by said meter.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, tubular means containing a fluid, a plunger reciprocably-mounted in said means and resisted in its action by the fluid, oars operably-connected to said plunger to actuate the same, indicating means communicating with the fluid containing means to determine the resistance offered by the fluid to the plunger, and a retardant in advance of said indicating means, for the purpose described.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, tubular means containing a fluid, a plunger reciprocably-mounted in said means and resisted in its action by the fluid, oars operably-connected to said plunger to actuate the same, means extending rearwardly from the plunger, and oars operably-connected to said means.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, tubular means containing a fluid, a plunger reciprocably-mounted in said means and resisted in its action by the fluid, a pair of oars operably-connected to said plunger to actuate the same, extension rods operably-connected to said plunger and extending rearwardly of the oars, and another ed to the plunger and extending rearwardly pair of oars operably-connected to sald exthereof, another pair of oars operably-contension rods. nected to said extension means, and a seat ad- 8; In an apparatus of the character dejacent the last-mentioned oars.

5 scribed, tubular means containing a fluid, In testimony whereof I afliX my signaa plunger reciprocahly mounted in said ture in the presence of tWo Witnesses. means and resisted in its action by the fluid, WILLIAM G. FIRTH.

a pair of oars operaloly-connected to said Witnesses: plunger to actuate the same, a seat adjacent FRED C. FISCHER, 10 said oars, extension means operably-connect- L. J FISCHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

